Boathouse Hotel opens at Patonga after $5m revamp

Scott Bolles

With a portfolio of waterfront venues stretching from Balmoral to Palm Beach, the greatest threat to Andrew and Pip Goldsmith's booming Boathouse Group might just be rising sea levels.

The Goldsmiths have opened the doors at the Boathouse Hotel Patonga, throwing $5 million on a facelift and rebrand after splashing a reported $10 million purchasing the landmark Patonga pub last year.

Andrew Goldsmith says they've long coveted the hotel, believing an overcrowding of Sydney venues and growth in areas such as the central coast make regional expansion the next logical step.

The venue has undergone a $5 million facelift and rebrand. Photo: Supplied

But they've been careful not to force-feed the Patonga community.

"The joke over here was that it was going to be West Palm Beach and we'd turn it into a cafe. Yes we've made it lighter and brighter, but it's a waterside pub and we don't want to change that … we like the dart board," Goldsmith says.

Boathouse staples as well as pub classics litter the food menu, and Goldsmith is revelling in the bar side of the operation, with 17 different beers available.

Regional expansion was the next logical step for the Boathouse Group. Photo: Jessie Harris

There's more expansion to come, with the Boathouse Group's takeover of Barrenjoey House to be unveiled just before Christmas.

"It'll be a step up again, with bookings and table service. We don't want to just keep replicating what we already do."